Researchers believe that a particular combination of vitamins and nutrients works together synergistically to promote brain health. They found that seniors with high serum levels of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins B, C, D, and E scored higher on thinking tests and also tended to have larger brain volume.

Their findings were based on measuring levels of more than 30 nutrients in the blood of 104 elderly people with an average age of 87. The participants were all healthy nonsmokers with few chronic illnesses and free of memory and thinking problems.

Those with high levels of vitamins B, C, D and E performed better on tests of executive function, attention, visuospatial skills, and global cognitive function. They also had larger brains.

Higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids were associated with better executive function and fewer changes to the white matter of the brain. Omega-3s were not linked to any other measures of mental abilities.

"Executive function" is a term used to describe higher level thinking involving planning, attention and problem solving.

By contrast, study participants with high levels of trans fats (bad fats) performed worse on tests of thinking abilities and had smaller brains.

The researchers noted that some amount of brain atrophy or shrinkage is normal with aging. Changes in the white matter can be indicative of damage to the small blood vessels of the brain.

Better Brain Tip:

While the study found an association between certain nutrients and brain characteristics rather than showing cause-and-effect, it still makes good sense to limit trans fats, and to eat lots of fruits, vegetables and fatty fish.

For more tips on natural ways to boost your brain power, read more about brain and memory health here.

Sources:

Health Finder